The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-15
THAT CHACTAUQUA ROW.
Brewing for Years-Ring Methods Against
Which the Cottagers Protested.

SreWlng for 1earS-R1ng metnOuS Against
Which the Cottagers Protested.
JAmEsrowN. n Y, Aug. 1.-The excitement
II Chautauoua over the row which occurred at
he annual meeting of the cottage-owners in
lreases as the days go by and the time for Wade's
trial on the charge of disturbing the peace ap-
yroaches 1t is set down the calendar of the
assembly justice for next Wednesday. and de-
Jpite the fact that the regular programme has
been diversified and entertaining, the contro-
versy has been the leading topic of CONVERSE
lion
The trouble has been brewing for years and
asst spring, before the assembly opened the cot
taCe-owners met and employed A C. Wade, OF
this city. to look into their troubles.
One OF the bylaws of the association provided
shat each cottage-owner or hotel-keeper who
keeps boarders for hire shall pay into the treas
ury of the association 10 per cent of the gross
receipts. This sum, it has been alleged,
used to keep the grounds in repair, for cleaning
AWAY garbage and for general sanitary arrange
ments
This by law has long been bone of contention.
but up to last spring this was an undercurrent
and only found expression through private indi-
viduas or an occasional aggressive newsp aper
correspondent who paid his forty cents a day for
admission to the grounds. To add to this tax
people who kept servants were obliged to "pay
Tor tickets for their help, and the tax has
been burdensomc many who have sought
Chautauaua, and with their limited means
erected a summer cottage within the grounds.
These things more or less patiently
borne. however, until the meeting last spring.
The immediate object of this meeting was to
learn whether the cottage-owners, who had
bought their leases of the original Fair Point
Assembly could be forced into giving them up
and signing new leases or taking new deeds, some
n hA
stringent than those of the original papers.
In the course of his Investigations Mr. Wade
discovered that the Hotel Atheneum was owned
and operated by foreign corporation which had
been organized for the purpose of making mon
ey, which was not allowed by the charter OF the
assembly, and that by a subsequent act of the
Legislature of the State of New York the assem-
bly, has been allowed to invest it's funds in the
corporation. He learned that the hotel had been
exempted from the 10per-cent exaction. and
the employees were given the run of the grounds
passes issued by the assembly.
Whom these facts came to the OF the cot
tage-owne rs there blood on the moon, and it
was decided that at the annual meeting of the
cottage-owners there should be determined eff
fort for justice. The assembly authorities got
wind of the trouble and efforts made to
hurry up the obnoxious leases before the annual
meeting. These leases contained agreement
to submit to the 10-per-cent tax. and it this
special clause that first started the opposition In
order to get those leases signed before the au-
nual meeting summary measures were adopted.
People who had occupied their cottages under
one days notice to sign the leases. with the al
Tentative of being driven from the grounds if
they refused Officers of the association,
companied by constables, entered houses with
threats Of ejectment suits, and one man who
was met upon the streets says that he told
that he wonld be given just two minutes in
He protested that he would not be able to read
the document in that time, and the constable
was directed to serve his papers, aud he did SO.
Despite these heroic methods, there were a
large number of unsigned leases on the day of
holding the annual meeting of cottage-owners,
who. by virtue of their ownership. stock
holders and voters In the meetings for the cleo
tion of directors and for the passing repeal
ing of the bylaws.
When President Miller called the meeting to
order. he stated the object of the meeting was to
elect directors, and a motion was made to rein
state the present incumbents. On the question
being put, President Miller ruled that the quail
fcations of voters should be determined by
book in which the records of the transfer from
the old to the new leases were made This, of
course shut out the discontented members Mr.
Wade as the attorney for his clients and the
owner OF a cottage, appealed from the arbitrary
decision OF the Chair. and DIR. Edwards, of
the Chautauqua managers, expounded what he
called parliamentary law, and held that the
Chair was absolute in it's rulings. Mr.. Wade
asked to have his motion for an appeal from the
Chair put. The Chair refused to put the motion.
Mr.. Wade said that IL the Chair refused to put
che motion he (Wade) should do so himself and
be jumped up ON chair and put the motion. 1t
was carried.
At this point the Chair declared the meeting
Mr.. Wade organized a new meeting,
Mr.. Gale in the chair. and the meeting passed a
motion repeating that section of the bylaws
which obliged the cottage owners to pay the 10
per cent. into the treasury. BY order Of Presi-
dent Miller the meeting was raided by the po-
lice. and Wade and Gale were marched off, only
to be released on their own recognzances Sew
oral men in the meeting wanted to fight it ont
man to man, but wiser counsels prevailed and
no blows were struck.
The justice of the peace before whom Wade
and Gale are to appear next Wednesday has his
pffice on the grounds and Wade says that he
knows of no law that will compel him to pay 40
and that the association will have to furnish him
pass inside of the grounds or he
will 60 no further than the steam
boat docks. Mr. Wade has the
reputation OF being aggressive and fearless
lawyer, and there is doubt that the fight
which he has entered will be pushed to the bitter
ind. Mr.. Wade threatens to bring an action for
false imprisonment he is discharged,
and he Will probably cause the arrest of Pres
ldent Miller for disturbing a public meeting
which had been organized according to estab-
lished rules.
Mr. Wade promises some development in the
of Chautauqua which will be in
to secure signatures to the new leases
goes on with renewed vigor The association
has employed tee leading legal talent of Western
New York, and the fight promises to be verv
spirited. Mr.. Wade is a member of the law firm
Of Cook. Fisher 81 Wade. of the most con-
servatve in this section, the junior mem bers of |
which were prominently identified with the Sem |
Atorlal fight at Albany last winter the advis-
ers Of Assemblyman Frost in his break from |
Miller to Hiscock.
A FAIR GIRLS SHOTS.